# John T. Harris > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/John_T._Harris > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/John_T._Harris.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_T._Harris > Source revision: 1344455474 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) American politician (1823–1899) For other people with the same name, see [John Harris (disambiguation)](/source/John_Harris_(disambiguation)). John Thomas Harris Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia In office March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1861 Preceded by John Letcher Succeeded by Rees Bowen Constituency 9th district In office March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1881 Preceded by William Milnes, Jr. (6th) Elliott M. Braxton (7th) Succeeded by Thomas Whitehead (6th) John Paul (7th) Constituency 6th district (1871-73) 7th district (1873-81) Chairman of the Committee on Revision of Laws In office March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1881 Preceded by William Walsh Succeeded by William C. Oates Chairman of the Committee on Elections In office March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1879 Preceded by Horace B. Smith Succeeded by William M. Springer Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from Rockingham County In office 1863–1865 Alongside James Kenney Personal details Born (1823-05-08)May 8, 1823 Browns Gap, Albemarle County, Virginia, US Died October 14, 1899(1899-10-14) (aged 76) Harrisonburg, Virginia, US Party Independent Democrat, Democrat Profession Politician, Lawyer, Judge **John Thomas Harris** (May 8, 1823 – October 14, 1899) was a nineteenth-century politician, lawyer and judge from [Virginia](/source/Virginia).[1] He was often referred to after the [American Civil War](/source/American_Civil_War) as "Judge Harris", even after his election to Congress. He was the first cousin of [John Hill](/source/John_Hill_(Virginia_politician)). ## Early and family life John T. Harris Born in [Browns Gap, Virginia](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Browns_Gap,_Virginia&action=edit&redlink=1), Harris completed academic studies and studied law.[2] ## Career Admitted to the Virginia bar in 1845, Harris began his legal practice in [Harrisonburg, Virginia](/source/Harrisonburg%2C_Virginia). He was elected the [commonwealth attorney](/source/Commonwealth's_Attorney) for [Rockingham County, Virginia](/source/Rockingham_County%2C_Virginia), and served from 1852 to 1859. The practice prospered so that he owned $9000 in real estate and lived with his wife and three young children lived with a 17 year old white woman and 23 year old Black man according to the 1860 census.[3] By that time, he also owned $7000 in personal property, including three slaves (19, 13 and 5 year old Black girls).[4] Harris won election as an [Independent Democrat](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) to the [United States House of Representatives](/source/United_States_House_of_Representatives) in 1858, serving from 1859 to 1861. He ran for reelection, but the seat was terminated from [Congress](/source/United_States_Congress) after [Virginia](/source/Virginia)'s secession from the [Union](/source/Union_(American_Civil_War)) on April 17, 1861. Harris initially vehemently opposed secession, including in a large political rally in Rockbridge, but [George Deneale](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=George_Deneale&action=edit&redlink=1) took the opposite position, and Harris later lobbied voters to elect delegates who would allow a referendum on secession, which passed nearly unanimously in the county.[5] ### American Civil War Rockbridge voters elected Harris to the [Virginia House of Delegates](/source/Virginia_House_of_Delegates), and served from 1863 to 1865. ### Return to Congress After the war's end, Harris became judge of the twelfth [judicial circuit](/source/Circuit_court) of [Virginia](/source/Virginia) from 1866 to 1869. He became known for his "frank and manly" acceptance of the war's results, including his charge to the grand jury on May 11, 1867, exhorting members to do their duty "without fear or favor."[6] Upon [Virginia](/source/Virginia)'s adopting a new Constitution which forbad slavery and thus allowed its readmission to the [Union](/source/Union_(American_Civil_War)) in 1869, and restoration of civil rights to Confederate officials, Harris ran for the U.S. House of Representatives at a special election held in July 1869, but lost. The following year, 1870, voters sent him back to the U.S. Congress as a [Democrat](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)), and he won re-election several times, serving from 1871 to 1881. However, the numbering of the district Harris represented changed from Virginia's 6th District to Virginia's 7th District in 1872 due to reapportionment after the 1870 census. A [White supremacist](/source/White_supremacist) he opposed [Civil Rights](/source/Civil_Rights) for African Americans.[7] Harris chaired the [Committee on Elections](/source/United_States_House_Committee_on_Elections) from 1875 to 1879 and chairman of the [Committee on Revision of Laws](/source/United_States_House_Committee_on_Revision_of_Laws) from 1879 to 1881. Harris declined a unanimous renomination in 1880. After a contested election, his successor as Commonwealth Attorney (and former state Senator) [John Paul](/source/John_Paul_(judge)) succeeded him for one term, and was succeeded by the [Charles Triplett O'Ferrall](/source/Charles_Triplett_O'Ferrall), whom Harris had defeated in 1872 and 1874. Harris served as chairman of the [Virginia Democratic Convention](/source/Democratic_National_Convention) in 1884, and was a [commissioner](/source/Commissioner) to the 1893 [World's Columbian Exposition](/source/World's_Columbian_Exposition) in [Chicago, Illinois](/source/Chicago%2C_Illinois). ## Death and legacy He died in [Harrisonburg, Virginia](/source/Harrisonburg%2C_Virginia), on October 14, 1899. His papers, including a diary, are held in the special collections division of the [James Madison University](/source/James_Madison_University) library.[8] ## Electoral history - **1870**; Harris was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives unopposed. - **1872**; Harris was re-elected with 61.79% of the vote, defeating Independent [Charles T. O'Ferrall](/source/Charles_T._O'Ferrall). - **1874**; Harris was re-elected with 73.6% of the vote, defeating Republican John F. Lewis and Independents [John F. Early](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_F._Early&action=edit&redlink=1) and O'Ferrall. - **1876**; Harris was re-elected with 73.28% of the vote, defeating Republican [Everett W. Early](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Everett_W._Early&action=edit&redlink=1). - **1878**; Harris was re-elected with 56.46% of the vote, defeating Conservative [John Paul](/source/John_Paul_(judge)). ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** CongBio|H000247 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Lyon Gardiner Tyler, Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography, Vol. 3, p. 119 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** 1860 U.S. Federal Census for Harrisonburg, Rockingham County, Virginia p.18 of 33 on ancestry.com 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** 1860 U.S. Federal Census Slave Schedule for Harrisonburg, Rockingham County, Virginia p.2 of 4 on ancestry.com 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** C.E. May, Life under Four Flags: in North River Basin of Virginia (Bridgewater: McClure Press 1976); pp. 381-384 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** John W. Wayland, A History of Rockingham County, Virginia (Ruebush-Elkins Company, 1912) pp. 161-163 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Friedlander, Alan; Gerber, Richard Allan (22 November 2018). [*Welcoming Ruin: The Civil Rights Act of 1875*](https://books.google.com/books?id=cdJ7DwAAQBAJ&q=1873+National+Civil+Rights+Convention&pg=PA57). BRILL. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9789004384071](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9789004384071). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [http://www.lib.jmu.edu/special/manuscripts/2025Harris.aspx](http://www.lib.jmu.edu/special/manuscripts/2025Harris.aspx) The John T. Harris collection (SC#2025) at James Madison University's Special Collections. U.S. House of Representatives Preceded by John Letcher Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 9th congressional district 1859–1861 Succeeded by Rees Bowen(1) Preceded by William Milnes Jr. Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 6th congressional district 1871–1873 Succeeded by Thomas Whitehead Preceded by Elliott M. Braxton Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 7th congressional district 1873–1881 Succeeded by John Paul Notes and references 1. Because of Virginia's secession, the House seat was vacant for twelve years before Bowen succeeded Harris. v t e United States representatives from Virginia's 6th congressional district I. Coles Venable I. Coles Clay Trigg Sheffey Smyth G. Tucker Davenport W. Coles Jones Seddon Botts Seddon Caskie Powell Leake Milnes Harris Whitehead J. Tucker Daniel Hopkins Edmunds Otey Glass Woods Woodrum Almond Burton Poff Butler Olin Goodlatte Cline All Virginia districts: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 · 18 · 19 · 20 · 21 · 22 · 23 · at-large v t e United States representatives from Virginia's 7th congressional district Page Venable Randolph Lewis Caperton B. Smith W. Smith Leftwich Claiborne Stuart Goggin Wise Bayly W. "EB" Smith Upton McKenzie Braxton Harris Paul Sr. O'Ferrall Turner Hay T. Harrison Paul Jr. T. Harrison Garber Fishburne Robertson B. Harrison Marsh Robinson Slaughter Allen Bliley Cantor Brat Spanberger Vindman All Virginia districts: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 · 18 · 19 · 20 · 21 · 22 · 23 · at-large v t e United States representatives from Virginia's 9th congressional district Bland Giles Eggleston Giles Thompson Love Hawes Hungerford Ball Stevenson Taylor Roane Hunter Chilton Pendleton Morton Strother Letcher Harris R. Bowen Terry Pridemore Richmond Fulkerson H. Bowen Trigg H. Bowen Buchanan Marshall Walker Rhea C. Slemp C. B. Slemp Peery Shaffer Flannagan Fugate Wampler Jennings Wampler Boucher Griffith All Virginia districts: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 · 18 · 19 · 20 · 21 · 22 · 23 · at-large Authority control databases International VIAF FAST WorldCat National United States People US Congress Other Open Library SNAC Yale LUX --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [John T. Harris](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_T._Harris) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_T._Harris?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.